Spring!

After immersing myself in 40+ pages of course reading about political leadership versus business managerialism, I quite contentedly donned my earphones and wandered out into a lovely spring night to find a bank machine and deposit my hard earned dough. On the way, I was quite struck by the excellent timing of this song and particularly the highlighted passage below.

Mayday- Jason Webley

you hear that sound
the rain is coming down
it says there's a ripeness setting in
the children spin around
'til they crash into the ground
singin' welcome home forever once again

And when you hear the spirit's call
There ain't no use to fight
And if you want to eat tomorrow
You better sow your seed tonight
You better sow your seed tonight

you feel that fire
lift your body higher
an old old dance is growing here
better kiss me soon
while the blossoms are in bloom
or you might just have to wait another year

And when you hear the spirit's call
There ain't no use to fight
And if you want to eat tomorrow
You better sow your seed tonight
You better sow your seed tonight

(instrumental awesomeness)

You feel that beat
Come on move your feet
Old Man Winter's dead and gone
There'll be wiggling of the toes
There'll be taking off of clothes
There'll be silly naked dancing on the lawn

And when you hear the spirit's call
There ain't no wrong or right
And if you want to eat tomorrow
You better sow your seed tonight
You better sow your seed tonight


Granted, few of the folks who live in our neighbourhood actually have lawns, but there has been much spring-inspired cavorting nonetheless. I have been much amused to note that, where about 3 weeks ago, Anne and I claimed a (rather beat up) sled, I now see people playing frisbee in shorts and sandals. Damn, I love this country!

Happy Easter!

Hope y'all had a pleasant long weekend. We celebrated easter with three big dinners. Our usual Friday Feast featured lamb this week, and then we (who am I kidding? Rem cooked.) did a big ham for Saturday lunch with my dad, stepmother, gram and aunt Polly. Sunday was a big dinner at my mom's and today I feel like you could roll me down the hall. So much food. So little biking. Lots of housecleaning and homework, though, both of which need to be done. Yes, I'm blogging as a direct result of procrastination.

My only other news this week was an email from a long lost friend (last news from him was a wedding announcement a year ago) who is apparently now a father... boy do I feel old! (And too young, all at the same time.) Poor guy is away from his wife and new baby for two or three months while she's far, far away with her family grieving for her recently passed mother. Sad situation all around. Having spent a large amount of time away from my significant other, I've got lots and lots of sympathy for him.

Okay, end of procrastintion.
Stephanie out.

Hurray for bicycles!

I tried to write a celebratory entry here on my birthday but ran into technical difficulties and promptly forgot about my good intentions in the face of birthday revelry. What I intended to celebrate here was not in fact my birthday, though it was closely related. Rather, I wished to announce my acquisition of a brand-spanking-new bicycle! Thanks to a birthday present sponsored jointly by Rem, Dad and Joan, and our friend Malcolm, I am the very proud owner of a new black Specialized Sirrus cyclable! It's a beautiful hybrid bicycle set up for road riding with a pleasantly high handlebar set up so I'm less bent over than I would be on most bikes. It's nice and light and has 21 gears and functional brakes! The brakes are a lovely change for me, as is the decreased amount of inertia to deal with. The guys at Revolution cycle (very helpful folks!) kindly set it up with very civilized looking fenders and a handy back rack so I can take my Dutch bike bag around with me again. Mom and Don sponsored the accessories, so I'm all set up with lights, locks, gloves, helmets, and reflective chickens.

And... with this surprisingly early and wonderful spring weather we've had this week, I've actually become a bicycle commuter, too! I'm now riding from home at the University to work at the Percy Page Center every day - and back again, of course. It takes me about 30-35 minutes to get to work and 35-45 to get home. My route takes me through the river valley, mostly on bike paths and residential roads so that I avoid all the traffic and extra lights and stop signs downtown, but of course leaves me with the challenge of biking up Groat Road and Emily Murphy hill. Now, this is likely to astonish anyone who remembers my adventures biking with Amie, Mathilde and Steve in France last year, but by golly, I can do this!

Slowly, mind you, and though Groat Road is okay, Emily Murphy Hill is a painful 10 (?) minute climb where joggers leave me in their dust. Still, after only 4 times (yes, I'm counting!), I'm already noticing an improvement - I no longer spend the following 6 hours coughing my lungs out. I've now figured out how to use the gears on my bike and have hopes that someday I will be able to make the climb without having to psych myself up first. Rem claims that he started out having the same difficulties I do but now can ride it without too much trouble. We'll see!

The commuting is also good training for a mini-road trip we're planning to do at the end of May. Rem's cousin is getting married in Beiseker, way down by Calgary, and we're considering biking down for it. It'll take about three days and then we can get a ride back with Rem's mom for the return trip. I got a little spooked when I realized that somewhere in there we'll have to cross both the Red Deer and Battle River valleys - which of course means hills - in addition to whatever foothills we come across, but am still hopeful that it's doable. It would be nice to try!

Rem and his dad are going to bike from Vernon to Edmonton in June (sans me!) and though I envy the fabulous scenery they'll be going through, I can't imagine an entire day of climbing. Actually, that's not true, I can imagine it - it's just such an unpleasant thought that I'd rather not!

Anyways, though I still have a long ways to go before I become quite as crazy of a bicycle person as Malcolm or even Rem, it's nice to be back on those two wheels.